Could Gaza's fourth Startup Weekend be a turning point for the ecosystem?

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Attending Gaza’s fourth Startup Weekend was one
of the best experiences I’ve had in the Arab startup
ecosystem. Some of the most talented, enthusiastic, and hungry
entrepreneurs are popping up in the isolated strip where daily
struggles are overcome through creativity and collaboration.

With a total population of around 1.7 million in Gaza, the
startup scene is relatively small, but you would never know it from
the frenzy surrounding mentorship and tech education events there.
Just a few months ago, many Startup Weekend participants had no
idea what a startup was. But thanks to programs like Mercy Corps
accelerator Gaza Sky
Geeks, Google
Developers Group in Gaza, and others, buzz is building
around entrepreneurship. This year’s SW Gaza drew over 650
applicants; over 150 were ultimately selected to
participate.

Kicking off the fourth and largest Startup Weekend Gaza, our
group of eight international mentors from Copenhagen to Dubai and
Poznan to Portland joined the local ecosystem at the first
Meet the Gazans event where we each shared a tidbit of
expertise with the packed room of local innovators and business
stakeholders. Presentations ranged from UX design to lean startup
methodology, and VC investment to the power of emotion in your
startup.

Later that evening, local leaders gave us a warm welcome,
including the president and vice president of the Islamic
University of Gaza who are pulling together support programs and
educational specialties to support entrepreneurship in the Gaza
Strip.

On the morning of the big day, we each met with some of the more
advanced startup entrepreneurs to workshop their major challenges
one on one before SW Gaza began.

Startup Weekend itself kicked off late in the afternoon,
organized by the team led by Iliana Montauk at Gaza Sky Geeks,
Mohammed AlAfranji of SADAF for
Technology, the Google Developers Group in Gaza, and
the Business
Technology Incubator (BTI) of the Islamic University in
Gaza (IUG).

More than 150 participants and 50 partners and attendees packed
into the Roots Hotel Seaside to share startup pitches and form
teams around the top ideas. Over 70 participants made their way to
the stage to offer a one-minute pitch, many having prepared their
ideas for weeks before sharing them with the group.

With so many ideas to choose from, the participants and mentors
took about half an hour to vote for their favorite concepts,
running around to pin voting stickers and show their support for
their favorite ideas. As the selection panel reviewed the results,
participants ate dinner anxiously, hoping their idea received
enough votes to advance. One table I sat with was filled with a
team of friends hoping to build a social media account auction
site. When their name was called, each jumped up and ran around
hugging each other, excited to build their concept over the next
two days.

In the end, 25 ideas were selected (16 led by women) and teams
began to form. SW Gaza was officially underway.

Although we unexpectedly had to leave before the second day
began, many of the teams continued to reach out online for
mentorship and advice throughout the second day. The international
judges panel joined local judges via Skype on the third day to
select the winners of SW Gaza 4:

First place winner Lilac for
Innovation Design is building a platform for virtual interior
design modeling. Their prize includes incubation at the Business
and Technology Incubator (BTI) in Gaza, complete with workspace and
mentorship, as well as a $2,500 USD grant tied to specific
milestones.

Second place went to Fun Lab, a virtual
platform for chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science
education for young students led by the event’s youngest
participant (aged 14 years). The team wins incubation at the
University College of Applied Sciences Incubator in Gaza.

Third place winner Wmd offers a mobile
app that allows users to purchase in-store products via a QR code
and barcode reader. They also win incubation at the University
College of Applied Sciences Incubator.

This year, attendees also had several new categories to compete
in, including: Best Women’s Team, Best B2B Product, and Best
Validation. Here’s a look at the winners in these categories:

Best Women's Team award went to Bzzra, a
social network and portal for those interested in gardening. The
prize of incubation at BTI and a grant of $2,500 is awarded to the
top startup with at least 50% female team members and with women in
leadership roles.

Best B2B Product winner Kateb offers
consultancy services for organizations and individuals in the
technical or creative writing field. They receive incubation at BTI
and a startup grant of $1,000.

Best Validation winner Smart Cart
offers smartphone users shopping suggestions based on their
purchase history as well as virtual mapping for shopping centers
and products. They were able to best validate their product over
the 54-hour event. Smart Cart also wins incubation at BTI alongside
a grant of $1,000.

If previous SW Gaza winners like Wasselni are
any hint, we’re in for some great iteration and growth from these
startups. We’ll keep an eye on these teams as they further validate
their ideas and begin building viable companies.

Check back for part two from my trip to Gaza for a broader
overview of the Gazan startup ecosystem.